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Just Open: The Bent Elbow, Stones Corner, Brisbane

Natascha Mirosch

Inside the Bent Elbow at Stones Corner.
Inside the Bent Elbow at Stones Corner.Bradley Kanaris

If all the staff at Stones Corner newbie The Bent Elbow look strangely familiar, it may be because they've come, lock, stock and barman from Jeremy's Bistro in the CBD. The 16-year-old city stalwart shut up shop just before Christmas with owner Jeremy Van Balen saying that with ever-increasing city rents it was "time to hang up the boots".

Van Balen and his Jeremy's Bistro staff have moved to The Bent Elbow, a pub owned by the TBE group.

The casual fare is certainly a departure for former Jeremy's chef Dave Huggins, who has eschewed the starched white cloths and city high-flyer fare for something simpler.

Scallop ceviche tortillas at the Bent Elbow.
Scallop ceviche tortillas at the Bent Elbow.Bradley Kanaris
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"There's been a shift away from that – people want to feel like they're getting value for money and they weren't getting that with fine dining," he says.

Menu prices range between $9 and $26 (barring a $38 1/2 kilogram rib on the bone served with salad, sauce and chips), and portions are generous, including a huge plate of excellent sticky-sweet beef ribs at $14.

"I source everything myself. I go to the market and handpick what I want," Huggins says. "It's the only way to have direct control over price and quality. I also try to construct the menu efficiently so that everything in the kitchen can be used in other dishes. It's about minimising waste and being creative."

The wine list, under Van Balen, is equally frugal, with glasses from $7 and bottles from $28.

"We're not trying to do anything too fancy, our end game is to have a list from boutique wineries at reasonable prices, to keep it interesting," Van Balen says.

The boutique and local ethos extends to the bar, where there are 12 craft beers on tap and more than 25 bottles. "All our beers on tap are independently owned and as local as possible," says beer consultant and barkeep Dan Watkins. "As well as supporting local businesses, it means that the beer is always fresh."

The formula, which also includes a great playlist and late weekend opening hours, has struck a chord with locals.

"The response has been great since we've opened. I've been really impressed by how locals support their own here," says Huggins. "It's so different to the city."

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Open Wed-Thu 11am-10pm, Fri 11am-midnight, Sat 8am-midnight, Sun 8am-8pm.

The Bent Elbow, 16 Old Cleveland Road, Stones Corner, thebentelbow.com.au

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